An Invitation to Investigate Italian Viticulture #ItalianFWT

No this is NOT a vineyard in Italy or a biodynamic one. This is an experimental plot of Chardonnay by a citrus company in Santa Paula where I was pruning today.

vit·i·cul·ture

Dictionary result for viticulture

/ˈvidəˌkəlCHər/

noun

the cultivation of grapevines.

the study of grape cultivation.

This March, I am hosting the Italian Food Wine Travel (ItalianFWT) investigation into Italian Viticulture. We’re a group of influential wine, food, and travel writers with a passion for Italy, and we get together on the first Saturday of each month to compare notes on a particular topic, for example, last month was Sagrantino hosted by Jeff Burrows and in October I hosted Lugana.

My original idea was to have us focus on biodynamic wines of Italy by finding wines certified by Demeter, but when many of us found this challenging, myself included, I suggested we shift to Italian Viticulture in general with an emphasis on biodynamic, organic, and other green practices but not necessary certified, so we could explore the stories and controversies around this subject.

biodynamic

Definition of biodynamic

1: of or relating to a system of farming that follows a sustainable, holistic approach which uses only organic, usually locally-sourced materials for fertilizing and soil conditioning, views the farm as a closed, diversified ecosystem, and often bases farming activities on lunar cycles. Followers of biodynamic viticulture not only abstain from the use of chemicals, but also take a more holistic approach, viewing their environment—the soil, plants and animals—as a working unity that should be as self-sustaining as possible.— Alison Napjus biodynamic practices

Those of us who farm wine grapes biodynamically are not doing a good job of getting out the real story. That could be because the biodynamic movement is not a monolith, but a complicated web with divergent branches and diverse self-interests. That makes for a muddled message and creates an information issue biodynamic winegrowers have to confront. While there may be divergent opinions and methods within the biodynamic community, all share a common final goal.

That goal might be to make great wine, but for many of the biodynamic winemakers I’ve met and talked to, the goal is to take better care of the planet, and they see themselves as farmers first.

While biodynamic and organic wines can create distinct expressions of terroir (that also last longer and contribute less to a hangover), unfortunately, people who make wine this way are not immune to bad farming and winemaking which can destroy a sense of terroir just as easily as applying excessive chemicals.

At the end of his post, Craig says:

…it’s no wonder that writers struggle with understanding the practice of biodynamics, so do we. Agricultural knowledge is always evolving. There is much we don’t know and much we will never know. Bringing science and biodynamics together will be the next chapter.

Interested in investigating Italian Viticulture with us? There are many stories to be told about this ancient practice that began thousands of years ago when the original inhabitants of Italy noticed grapes vines growing up trees and figured out they could ferment the fruit to make wine!

You are invited to participate by publishing your investigation into Italian viticulture between Friday March 1 and Saturday March 2. We’ll gather on twitter on Saturday March 2 from 8-9am Pacific to discuss what we learned and the wines we tasted. So that I can include your title in the preview post, by noon Weds. Feb. 27, please send me your title and the URL of your blog by email or post it in the comments below.

So simply choose a bottle of wine from any region of Italy that is organic or biodynamic or has a viticultural story worth telling.

If you’re a blogger, and want to participate with a post telling us about the wine, leave a comment with your title below or email me ASAP but no later that Feb 27 so I can include you in the preview post.

We love to see wine and food pairings and to learn more about where the wine came from. While we’ve learned that what grows together goes together, your food pairing does not have to be Italian cuisine.

Stay tuned for the preview post late Wednesday sharing who will be writing about what and where.

Publish your post between 8am Friday March 1 and 8am Sat. March 2.

Plan on joining us Sat. March 2 for our live twitter chat from 8-9am Pacific time by following our hashtag #ItalianFWT.

Get social! We read, comment and share each other’s blog posts and tweets!

We’re a very engaged and supportive community, and all are welcome to participate whether with a blog post or in our twitter chat. There is so much to learn about Italian Wine and we’re all in this together!

PS I spent last week taking the Vinitaly Wine Ambassador Course! I learned SO much and I am so excited right now about Italian wine! So stay tuned — and subscribe!

Wine Predator Gwendolyn Alley

After starting my Art Predator blog November 2007, I began Wine Predator and attended the First Wine Bloggers Conference in Sonoma in 2008, followed by the second in 2009.

In November 2009, I went to the European Wine Bloggers Conference then to the Alentejo Region of Portugal on a wine tour sponsored by Enoforum WInes.

In 2010, I won a scholarship to attend the Wine Bloggers Conference in Walla Walla as well as a pre-conference trip to learn more about Washington wine.

In 2011, I explored by VW van the wine regions of the Northwest: Idaho, Washington, Oregon and Northern California. I also spoke about wine and food pairing at the International Food Bloggers Conference in Santa Monica.

In 2012, I participated in the Wine Bloggers Conference in Portland where I gave an Ignite!Wine presentation.

In 2013 I won a scholarship to attend the Wine Bloggers Conference in Penticton, Canada; I also participated in a press trip to Lake Chelan, Washington.

In 2014, I attended WBC14 in Santa Barbara and the Wine Tourism Conference in Paso Robles, CA.

In 2015, I continued my wine education by attending numerous industry events in LA as well as participating in various online tasting events with wines from around the world.

In 2016, I presented at both the International Food Bloggers Conference in Sacramento and the Wine Bloggers Conference in Lodi (where I was the concluding speaker of the conference).

In 2017, i published over 100 posts, many with an emphasis on food and wine pairings. I attended the International Food Bloggers Conference in Sacramento and the Wine Bloggers Conference in Santa Rosa. Press trips took me to LA, Lodi, San Luis Obispo, Napa, Lake, El Dorado, and Mendocino counties.

Areas of interest and expertise include food, wine, travel, geography, and culture. I have undergraduate degrees in Literature/Creative Writing and Environmental Studies from UC Santa Cruz, and graduate degrees in Education, English, and Ecopsychology.

Who knows where I will prowl next? Invite me to your neck of the woods! Need help with writing? I'm your gal on the prowl! You can reach me by email: gwendolynalley AT yahoo DOT com.

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